Suitcases and shattered dreams: fleeing Russians bring crisis to the Caucasus

As Western nations close their borders to those escaping mobilisation, Georgia and Armenia are left to deal with the new arrivals. ‘I had to go because it feels like practically everyone is going to be drafted soon’, says 37-year-old Kolya, who quit his job at a high-end coffee roastery in Saint Petersburg and cycled across the border into Georgia after two days of travelling. ‘I’m just staying with friends at the moment in Tbilisi, but I’m hoping I can find work as a barista soon.’ As many